Lori Athey Cockrell appointed to fill vacant council seat

At a 7 p.m. Special Meeting called just four days before the appointment would go to the courts for resolution, by a 4-0 vote with Letasha Thompson absent, long-time county public school teacher Lori Athey Cockrell was appointed to fill the town council seat vacated with the special election elevation of Eugene Tewalt to mayor.

Cockrell was not present at the Monday night meeting at Town Hall to hear her appointment nomination made by Chris Holloway, seconded by Gary Gillespie, approved without dissent.

Outside the December 16 closed session council interviews of seven applicants for the vacancy, the 53-year-old Cockrell told Royal Examiner she was preparing to retire from her teaching career and would have the time to devote to the job of elected town official.

Long-time county public school teacher Lori Athey Cockrell was appointed to fill the town council seat vacated with the special election elevation of Eugene Tewalt to mayor.

Cockrell is not the first from her family to serve on the Front Royal Town Council. Her brother Clay Athey began his political career as a Front Royal councilman and eventually mayor. He went on to be elected as 18th District representative to the Virginia General Assembly and was appointed to the Circuit Court bench following his political retirement. He is now on the Virginia Court of Appeals. Her sister Kim, like brother Clay an attorney, also now serves on the judicial bench.

Seven candidates for vacant Front Royal Town Council seat introduce themselves

Following Cockrell’s appointment, council adjourned to closed session to discuss a variety of topics. During the hour and 20-minute closed session council consulted with legal council on “probable litigation” with the Economic Development Authority and the fate of the 151-year-old shell of the Afton Inn across Crescent Street from Town Hall, as well as prospective Executive Search Firms with which to contract in its search for a permanent town manager.

Following adjournment of the special meeting after the closed session, council got work session updates on the status of its sewer system Intake & Inflow study, as well as Phase Two of the Happy Creek Road improvement project.

During an “Open Discussion” period to conclude the meeting, Interim Town Manager Matt Tederick addressed the Town’s vehicle decal situation and establishment of guidelines for downtown events as to authorization, street closings and parking situations. During the special meeting’s outset, C&C Frozen Treats proprietor William Huck asked council not to delay authorization for his Family Fun Day or the Chamber of Commerce’s Wine & Crafts Festival, both scheduled for May.

Tederick told council he did not foresee the Town’s work toward a more defined policy on downtown events as threatening to either event.

See the entire meeting and work session in this exclusive Royal Examiner video: